


Absolution

by trysomecats



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton
Genre: Character Study, Coma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Redemption, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 08:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20991629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trysomecats/pseuds/trysomecats
Summary: After surviving his fall in The Room of a Thousand Fountains, Bruck learns to be a Jedi once again.





	Absolution

Bruck Chun’s death isn’t anything like he’d expected death to be. For one, it hurt way too much. The pain seemed to be _ everywhere_, hot and searing through each of his joints. Bruck had always imagined death to be peaceful, or soothing. 

Then, Bruck remembered exactly how and why he died, and the pain suddenly made a lot more sense. 

First he’d failed to be chosen by a Jedi Master, and then he’d failed his new, unofficial ex-Jedi Master. He’d failed at everything, and now he was being punished for his mistakes. 

That’s why Bruck decided that there was nothing left to do except let go and accept the fact that there is only death and _ not _ the Force, and he will spend an eternity in pain to make up for his failure.

Strangely enough, as soon as Bruck entered his new state of acceptance, the pain quickly began to fade, and so did the darkness. When he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by an overwhelming amount of light. At first he thought that it was the Force, changing its mind and granting him an easy death. But then, after blinking a few times, he realized that something was very, very wrong. 

He was in the Halls of Healing. 

While that explained the bright light, it did nothing to explain the fact that Bruck was suddenly standing on his own two feet, despite being in so much pain only a few moments ago. He continued to blink until his eyes were fully adjusted to the light. As he became further aware of his surroundings, he was able to make out low murmurs and several figures that were in the room with him. 

Feeling nothing but pure confusion, Bruck studied the scene before him. 

“....I’ve done all I can,” the temple’s head healer, Vokara Che, was saying to both Master Windu and Master Yoda. “It’s up to Bruck now. All we can do is wait.” 

They were looking away from him, toward a medical bed. 

“What in the sith hells is going on?!” Bruck asked, completely lost as to what was happening. Nobody responded to him, so he followed their line of gaze, and his mouth dropped open in horror. 

He saw a figure lying on the bed. It was a young boy, close to thirteen. He had white hair, thin lips, and was deathly pale. It seemed that every part of him was hooked up to one machine or another. His vitals beeped slowly on a nearby monitor, and there were lingering traces of bacta smears on his cheeks. 

Bruck stumbled back a few paces. 

“What is this?” He asked loudly. “Master Yoda, I don’t understand!” 

Master Yoda did not respond, and neither did the other two Jedi. 

“It’s a miracle that the boy is still alive, after a fall like that,” Master Windu said. 

Healer Che reached out and adjusted one of the tubes coming out of the boy- Bruck’s arm. “Even in the best case scenario, it’s going to be a very long recovery for him.”

As they left the room, Bruck managed to kneel and reach a hand out toward Master Yoda. When his hand completely passed through the elderly Jedi’s shoulder, Bruck snapped his arm back in panic. 

“I’m right here!” He tried to yell, though his voice trembled. “I don’t understand….”

Completely alone, all Bruck could do was look back at his body and weep. 

* * *

It seemed like forever, but Bruck expected that in reality it had only been a few days. 

There wasn’t much to do when nobody could see or hear you. He spent a lot of time in the Healing Halls, by the body that he wasn’t occupying, willing himself to return to it. Unfortunately, no amount of meditation or wishful thinking seemed to help him. For all intents and purposes, he was locked out of _ himself_, as odd as that sounded. 

Leaving the Halls of Healing wasn’t an option either. He could only go so far from his body before he encountered some sort of metaphysical barrier that halted him from leaving. It didn’t hurt, but the air around him felt like glue, and he was completely frozen until he turned to go back to his body-occupied room. That meant he was left only with the entertainment of the sick and injured who were nearby.

Initially, Bruck received no visitors. It was fairly obvious why; he was a criminal in the eyes of the Jedi, and so for people to even be allowed to visit him in the first place would have been very unusual. 

The first time that Master Yoda stopped by to peer upon his injured body once more, Bruck just about died (wouldn’t that be wonderful?) of shock. Bruck gave up trying to communicate with the esteemed master. No amount of shouting, cursing, or pleading seemed to phase any who he spoke with. 

Apart from Master Yoda, the only regular company he received was from Healer Chi and a few healer apprentices. They only came into his room in order to monitor his vitals, rotate and massage his limbs, and administer treatment to his head and neck wounds. 

Then, out of the blue, he received the most unexpected visitor of all. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in the doorway, his blue-gray eyes filled with something close to trepidation. He looked like shit too, Bruck thought, all bruised and covered in dirt. He was standing in the doorway like some sort of buffoon, looking at the floor and anxiously twisting his pathetic stub of a braid...a braid that Bruck would give more than anything to have. 

“Stupid oaf,” he scoffed, folding his arms and leaning back further against the window-sill. “Get out of my room.”

It was Kenobi’s fault that he was stuck in this state in the first place. 

But then, the memory of Xanatos flashed to his mind, holding that glowing red lightsaber so close to the flesh of his neck. He remembered the disbelief and fear that had overwhelmed him during that moment. 

Maybe this whole thing was partially Xanatos’ fault as well. 

Or maybe even a little bit of his own fault. After all, no knight or master had ever been interested in selecting him as a pupil, no matter how hard he trained, or how many fights he won.

Nevertheless, Bruck had to be angry at someone, and his long time rival seemed to be the most obvious choice. Obi-Wan, like everyone else, had no idea that Bruck was speaking to him. He stared at Bruck’s unoccupied body with something akin to disbelief. 

“Obi-Wan,” Master Jinn’s voice startled both Obi-Wan and Bruck. 

Seeing the Jedi Master who had rejected Bruck over Obi-Wan brought on a fresh wave of anger. Unfortunately, Bruck could only watch as Qui-Gon put all of his attention on Obi-Wan. The master looked concerned for his pupil, and it made Bruck’s stomach clench. 

“I thought he was dead,” Obi-Wan said, his face still ashen. “I couldn’t feel him, after he fell…”

“The healers say that he has been clinging to life by the barest thread,” Master Jinn informed him. “There is no telling whether or not he will get better.”

Obi-Wan cast another stricken look towards the medical bed. 

Then, Master Jinn put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder. “Come, Padawan. A healer is waiting to tend to your ankle. After we are finished here, we must meet with the Council and give a full account of what happened on Telos.” 

“Yes, Master.”

Bruck watched them leave, seething. 

“It should have been me,” he said to the empty room. “Not him.”

* * *

Bruck had expected that to be the last time he saw Kenobi. After all, he had lost, and Oafy-Wan had won, so what reason would he have for coming back?

He turned out to be wrong. 

The very next day, Obi-Wan entered his room sometime in the late afternoon. This time, he was braver, crossing the room in order to occupy the single seat next to the bed. 

Bruck rolled his eyes, but there wasn’t much else that he could do. 

He decided to focus on his anger, particularly when he saw that Obi-Wan was dressed in a fresh laundered padawan outfit with new boots to go with it. No longer was he grubby and in tattered clothes as he had been upon returning from both Melida/Daan and then Telos. Now he looked like a full-fledged padawan learner, and it made Bruck green with envy. 

“You’re making me uncomfortable,” Bruck spat. 

Obi-Wan couldn’t hear him, of course. He sat there for a long time, without saying a single word. Bruck called him every insult that he had learned in his short life of almost thirteen years. The sun began to fade by the time that Obi-Wan finally left, still without a word. 

Nobody else visited him that day.

* * *

On his third day visiting, Kenobi actually spoke. When he got there, his hair was damp with sweat, and he smelled of the training rooms. He had obviously just come from saber training, which quickly soured Bruck’s mood. 

Obi-Wan took the seat next to Bruck’s bed once again. It was silent for the first few minutes, before the padawan took a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry Bruck,” he said softly, looking down at his hands. “I’ve been trying to figure out what to say for awhile now. If- If you can hear me, then I want you to know something really important.”

He stopped then, anxiously twirling his braid with one finger. 

“Well? Spit it out, Oafy-Wan,” Bruck sneered from his seat on the room’s window-sill. “I haven’t got all day.”

In actuality, he did have all day.

“Xanatos died on Telos,” Obi-Wan whispered the confession. “He jumped into a pit of acid. My Mas- Master Jinn was devastated, but there was nothing he could do. Xanatos was too far gone to be saved.”

The death of Xanatos should have made Bruck feel something akin to sorrow. Instead, he remained calm, though he thought back again to the red of Xanatos’ lightsaber, and the pure maniacal look on his face when he stood against Master Jinn. In all honesty, Xanatos had _ scared _ Bruck. Masters weren’t supposed to scare their pupils, were they?

“But you, Bruck,” Obi-Wan continued, startling him from his thoughts. “You aren’t too far gone. I don’t even think you’ve turned, not really. I think that you were feeling desperate, lost, scared, and angry. Those were my feelings when I was on my way to Bandomeer, and even after that. I feel lost now, even. So, what I really wanted to say was that I’m very glad you’re still alive. And- well, I hope that you wake up soon.”

Bruck stared open-mouthed at his rival. 

Obi-Wan took one of Bruck’s limp hands into his own. 

“Wake up soon,” he repeated. “Please, Bruck.” 

* * *

From then onwards, Obi-Wan continued to visit Bruck everyday, with the length of his visits steadily increasing each time. Bruck had to admit, Obi-Wan’s visits were getting more and more interesting each time. He was learning a lot about his rival, and not all of it caused that familiar burning sensation of anger like it used to. 

In fact, seeing as Obi-Wan was his only regular visitor, Bruck had even come to expect (and perhaps even anticipate) his arrival each day. Often Obi-Wan would bring a dadapad in order to complete the coursework for his new classes during his visits. He would usually read the questions aloud so that Bruck could hear. Well, Bruck thought ruefully, at least he was learning information taught to padawans, even if he would never be one himself. 

Bruck found it hard not to smirk when Obi-Wan struggled with certain questions, mostly those pertaining to advanced number theories and astronavigation. Numbers had always been Bruck’s strong suit, along with saber training. 

It was most interesting when Obi-Wan discussed his time outside of the temple. 

“I used to think of the temple as my home, but now- well, now I’m not sure what to think. It’s different, Bruck, once you’ve seen the world outside of life at the temple. Did you know that I was strangled by a Hutt on the way to Bandomeer? I don’t know what I was expecting life outside the temple to be, but it certainly wasn’t that...”

Bruck had never left Coruscant before. Most initiates only experienced far-distance travel once they became padawans. Bruck used to dream about all of the planets he would someday see. A few years ago, he had even designed his own travel journal, where he would record observations about new planets he encountered. He would then gift the journal to his master one day, along with his braid, once he was knighted. 

It had been a stupid idea, really.

“Qui-Gon has helped me understand a lot about why people do bad things. Most of the time they’re desperate, or greedy. They want things that the Jedi are taught not to worry about. On my first real mission in Gala, there was a boy who betrayed his own queen, just so he could continue to live a life of luxury in the palace.” 

Bruck frowned. Something seemed eerily familiar about that story. No, he thought to himself. He wasn’t like the boy on Gala. Bruck didn’t want a life of luxury, he only wanted to continue and follow the path that he had been on since infancy. 

“On Melida/Daan, I watched children fight for their lives every day. There were scarce amounts of food, medical supplies, or even safe places to sleep. The tunnels were almost as dangerous as ground level. That’s why I felt the need to- to help.”

Obi-Wan looked down at his hands as he spoke. Bruck listened with piqued interest. The incident on Melida/Daan had been a huge mystery to most who occupied the temple. All the initiates knew was that Obi-Wan had left the Jedi Order, which meant he had more or less betrayed his master. 

Obi-Wan fingered his braid and smiled wryly. 

“You know, I shouldn’t be wearing this braid right now. The council agreed to allow me a probation period, so until then my status as a padawan learner is revoked. You know Siri Tachi? Well, she said something to me not long before you got hurt. My leaving the Jedi, for Melida/Daan, cast doubt on all of the padawans and initiates concerning their commitment to the Jedi. She’s right of course- I learned that fairly quickly.”

Bruck snorted; could Oafy-Wan be any more dramatic? 

“You should consider yourself lucky,” he told the forlorn looking boy. “If I ever recover, I’ll probably be facing a lifetime of imprisonment or something.” 

Regardless, Bruck felt something akin to concern as he watched the padawan begin to weep. 

“I lost a very dear friend there,” Obi-Wan continued. “Her name was Cerasi. She was passionate, kind, and very intelligent. I loved her very much.”

Obi-Wan wiped his tears with the corner of his sleeve, and Bruck did his best not to feel anxious seeing his rival display such vulnerability. 

* * *

“There you are!” Bant Eerin, Obi-Wan’s Mon Calamari friend, announced her arrival as she entered the room. She was carrying a tray heaped with food. 

“Bant!” Obi-Wan grinned at the sight of his friend. “What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you the same question,” Bant replied, her round eyes holding nothing but kindness. “You were supposed to have dinner with me and Garen in the dining hall tonight, remember?”

“Oh,” Obi-Wan’s eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry Bant, I completely forgot.”

“That’s alright. I ran into Master Jinn while I was looking for you. He told me that you were most likely here, and that I should bring you something to eat.” 

“Thank you Bant, that was very kind of you.”

Obi-Wan tucked into his meal with the vigor of a hungry growing teenager. Bant watched him, amused, before she turned her attention to Bruck’s body. 

“How is he?” She asked quietly. 

Obi-Wan swallowed. 

“No change.” 

“He’s going to be alright, Obi. You’ll see.” 

Bruck couldn’t believe that the foolish girl was comforting Obi-Wan over Bruck’s injury. He had kidnapped the girl, for Force’s sake! Sure, he had hesitated over the possibility of killing her, but he had still gone through with it. How could she be so forgiving? 

“I hope so.” 

Bant was quiet for a while, studying her friend. 

“I miss you,” she confessed, blinking quicker than normal. 

“Bant, I haven’t left the temple in ages. How can you miss me?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“You’re just not yourself,” the Mon Calamari said. “You’re hurting inside. I want to help, if I can. If- if you need to talk more about Melida/Daan...” 

Obi-Wan took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

“I’m lucky to have you as a friend,” he told her. “I promise that I’m alright. It’s difficult, adjusting to things, but I mostly feel grateful to have been given a second chance, both as a Jedi and as Qui-Gon’s padawan.” 

The two friends’ heart-to-heart conversation left Bruck feeling empty. He used to have friends in the temple, yes, but he had never been as close to them as Obi-Wan was with Bant. He was lucky to have such a loyal friend. Bant stayed for the remainder of Obi-Wan’s visit. They both laid on the floor together, working on their assignments for tomorrow’s classes. Bruck stayed in the corner of his room, overcome with loneliness despite having two guests rather than his usual one. 

* * *

Early one morning, when Obi-Wan was occupied with his classes, Bruck was surprised to see Master Jinn come into his room. He walked over to Obi-Wan’s usual seat beside Bruck’s bed and sat down. He stared at Bruck’s body for a long time, not saying anything at all. 

Even though Bruck was growing to tolerate (and even enjoy) Obi-Wan’s presence, the Jedi master still made Bruck uneasy, and a bit self-conscious after being rejected by him. Bruck watched the master warily from the corner of the room. It seemed as though a great deal of time had passed, but Bruck suspected that truly it hadn’t been more than a few minutes. 

Finally, Healer Che came in to administer Bruck’s morning medication and check for any new changes in his condition. She seemed surprised to find Master Jinn in Bruck’s room. 

“Master Jinn,” she said, settling a fresh, heated linnen over Bruck’s body. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

The Jedi master sighed. “I’m trying to decide whether or not I should limit my padawan’s visits to see initiate Chun.”

“Ah,” the healer nodded to herself. “Yes, he has been spending quite a bit of time in the healing ward lately. If only he had the same attitude during his visits as a _ patient _.”

“Outside of classes and training exercises, visiting Bruck is all he does. I would like for him to spend more time among his friends, or to take some time to relax,” Master Jinn confessed. “However, if I ask him to limit his visits, I’m afraid he might see it as some sort of punishment, which won’t do at all. I believe he’s already punishing himself enough internally.”

Well, Bruck thought to himself, the master wasn’t wrong. He had lost track of how many days it had been since the fall, but he did know that Obi-Wan never failed to show up sometime between late afternoon and dinner, staying sometimes for hours rather than minutes. 

“Yes, that is a problem,” admitted Healer Che. “How has he been in general?”

“Better,” Master Jinn answered. “But the nightmares still persist. He has had one other anxiety attack outside of when Bruck held young Bant hostage. We have been making use of various meditations that hold a concentration on soothing techniques, and it seems to be helping.” 

“Are you still considering having him talk to a Soul Healer? He’s experienced a lot of trauma in these recent months, Qui-Gon. I’m not just talking about the incident with Bruck.”

“I know,” the master said, frowning. “I brought the idea up, but he rejected it almost immediately.”

“Yes, he’s a stubborn boy. Not unlike his Master.”

This entire conversation was news to Bruck. He rarely knew what went on in Obi-Wan’s life unless the information came directly from the padawan himself. But he had always been a private person, even when they were initiates. Or perhaps he just didn’t voice his worries to someone whom he considered his rival, Bruck thought to himself. 

But he did know that Master Jinn was right; Obi-Wan had been spending a lot of time with him. Perhaps the master had a right to be worried about his pupil. However, Bruck panicked at the thought of Obi-Wan no longer coming to see him.

He would be completely alone if that happened. 

* * *

“...I just don’t understand why they want an answer that has two different equations,” Obi-Wan was complaining to Bruck the following evening, frowning over his homework. “It makes no sense at all.” 

“It only doesn’t make sense because you’re thinking of them as separate entities,” Bruck said as he leaned over Obi-Wan’s shoulder, viewing the problem for himself. “One merely guides the other. Think of the first equation as the master, and the second as the padawan.”

His words, of course, had no effect on Obi-Wan’s ability to solve the problem. Still, it helped Bruck to speak aloud, even if his words were meaningless to everyone aside from himself. 

“This is hopeless,” Obi-Wan groaned, tossing his datapad aside. It landed on the tiled floor with a loud thump. 

“What’s hopeless?” Master Jinn asked, leaning against the doorway. Bruck hadn’t sensed him arrive, but he expected that the master had been watching long enough. 

“Master!” Obi-Wan quickly picked his datapad back up. “I was completing some coursework, but numbers aren’t really my strength.” 

“That’s the truth,” Bruck huffed. 

“They aren’t my strength either,” Master Jinn said consolingly. “But I will still help you with them tonight, if you would like.” 

“Of course Master,” said Obi-Wan. He looked confused, and rightly so; he had not seen his master in the Healing Halls since their return from Telos. 

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Bruck,” Master Jinn pointed out casually, crossing the room so that he was closer to both boys. 

“Yes Master,” said Obi-Wan. “It...brings me comfort. I have been careful not to let the visits get in the way with my studies.”

“I know that,” Master Jinn told him kindly. “Nonetheless, it might do you some good to take a break from both the Healing Halls and your studies. How would you like to go out for dinner tonight?” 

“Out?” Obi-Wan’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “But, I’m on probation…”

“I’ve already cleared it with Master Yoda. Your sessions with the Council have been very positive, and your grades are quite satisfactory. Although you are still technically on probation, you are no longer solely confined to the temple.”

Bruck was startled by his own feeling of happiness from Master Jinn’s words, a happiness that was purely for Obi-Wan. He smiled at the look of joy that slowly overtook the padawan’s face as he comprehended his master’s words. 

“Well?” Master Jinn prompted gently, when Obi-Wan remained speechless. “What do you say?”

“I-” the padawan looked back and forth between his master and Bruck’s body. “I would like that very much, but-”

“Bruck will still be here tomorrow.”

“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan said. Then, after another moment of hesitation, he smiled. “Where will we be going for dinner?”

“Anywhere you like. We can try somewhere new, or go to Dex’s…..”

Bruck watched them go, their voices fading as the left the Halls of Healing. Although he envied Obi-Wan for being able to leave, he didn’t feel _ anger _. That was important, he realized to himself. It seemed that in these recent days, the burning anger had all but left him. He felt subdued, and even found himself looking forward to Obi-Wan’s next visit. 

But Obi-Wan didn’t come to see Bruck the next day. 

Or the day after that. 

Or the next one. 

In fact, nobody came to see him. 

Well, why would they? As Bruck continuously reminded himself, he had no close friends in the temple anymore. Now that the entire temple knew about his part in the attack on Master Yoda, the sabotage of the turbolift, the thefts...well, it was his own fault that he was alone. 

“That’s why nobody chose you,” Bruck found himself saying to his sleeping body, with a newfound realization. 

Even when Obi-Wan had been sent away, he still acted as a Jedi should have. He’d faced his rejection with determination and compassion, following the will of the Force and helping those in need along the way. Bruck had done the complete opposite. In fact, he hadn’t even been sent away from the temple yet, and still he had allowed his fear and anger to rule him. 

He thought back to his and Obi-Wan’s fight in the Room of a Thousand Fountains; he had been so overcome with anger. The darkness had all but consumed him. He would have killed Obi-Wan during that time, if the battle had turned in his favor. He had allowed greed and desperation consume him, and in return he had only further confirmed his fate as a failed initiate. 

If Bruck could cry in this strange form that he was stuck in, then he would have. 

“Just let it be over,” he pleaded, looking at the ceiling. “I understand now. Please, please just let me die already.” 

Bruck wept soundlessly to himself, cursing the steady beat of the machine that monitored his heart. 

* * *

Bruck spent the following day laying on the floor, staring morosely at the ceiling. It had been days now, with no company. The healers spoke kindly when they changed his sheets and checked him over, but they didn’t make conversation like Obi-Wan did. 

Sometime in the early afternoon, Master Yoda came into his room, accompanied by Healer Che. They were talking in low, hushed voices, but Bruck was still able to hear them with ease. 

“It has been over a month now, with no change,” Healer Che observed. “Although many of his physical injuries are well on the way to healing, there is no telling what the lasting effects might be. Moreover, he shows no signs of waking up anytime soon. There is no telling of these things, of course, but…”

“A little longer, Bruck has, before turning thirteen,” said Yoda leaning heavily on his cane, ears drooping. “If wake, he does not, then contact his family, we will.” 

“Yes, that does seem to be the best option. They will be able to transfer him to his home planet, if they wish to.” 

Bruck found himself baffled. He hadn’t expected the possibility of being relocated. He didn’t know whether or not to be happy or terrified at such as possibility. He remembered the things that Xanatos had told him about his father, who held a powerful position on the planet of Telos. He had a brother, too, who he would get to see. 

But if he went with his family, everything would be over. The temple was his _ home _, more than Telos ever could be. 

Shortly after Yoda and Healer Che left, Obi-Wan arrived. Bruck was so happy to see Obi-Wan that he could have hugged him, had the form he was stuck in not been transparent. It was as if all of his worries faded into the background when Obi-Wan was around, as the other carried a light bright in his heart that chased the darkness away. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit,” Obi-Wan apologized, his eyes filled with worry. “Master took me on a- well, not a mission, really, but a training exercise. At least that’s what he _ said_, but it seemed more like a pleasure outing. We went Alderaan for three days, exploring the blue waters and vast mountains. Then on our last night, we joined the royal family for a meal…”

Bruck smiled, settling down and preparing himself to listen to Obi-Wan’s adventure on Alderaan. It was a welcome distraction, one that he needed now more than ever. 

* * *

The following afternoon, during Obi-Wan’s visit, someone knocked on the door, which was already slightly ajar. The new visitor was a human male, who held the rank of a Jedi Master judging by his robes and the way that he held himself in the Force. He was also very unrecognizable; Bruck had never seen such a man around the temple before, not even during tournaments, or around the halls of the temple. 

Obi-Wan looked up from his datapad curiously, so he must not have recognized the man either.

“Hi there,” the master said, striding forward with purpose. “You’re Qui-Gon’s padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Obi-Wan nodded, hesitating. “But technically I’m not Qui-Gon’s padawan right now.”

Ah, Bruck remembered, the probation was still in effect. 

“That’s not what he’s told me,” the man said, grinning at the boy’s embarrassed flush. “I’m Feemor Geruul. You can call me Feemor if you’d like, since we’re something like brothers.”

Bruck had to smirk at Obi-Wan’s shocked expression. 

“Forgive me,” Obi-Wan said, his eyes wide. “It’s just- I thought Xanatos was Master Qui-Gon’s first apprentice.”

“It’s alright, I know how private Qui-Gon can be.” Feemor said. “I take a lot of extended missions in the Outer-Rim. My most recent one lasted almost two years. But I have been away from the temple for a long time now, and I feel that it would be a great benefit to stay for awhile. I’ll be spending the next rotation teaching. It would be wonderful to get to know my lineage brother during that time.”

“I would like that very much,” Obi-Wan said earnestly, smiling shyly at the grown Jedi. 

“Excellent,” Feemor grinned. “You know, Qui-Gon tells me you’re very talented with a lightsaber.”

“I enjoy saber training very much,” Obi-Wan replied modestly. “I try to learn all that I can.”

“Then I look forward to sparring with you,” Feemor said, grinning widely. It went quiet for a moment, as they both turned to look at Bruck’s body. “This young man is Bruck Chun, I take it?”

“Yes,” said Obi-Wan, his eyes cast downward. 

Feemor put a hand on his shoulder. “Qui-Gon filled me in on what happened. I hope you know that this wasn’t your fault.”

“It wasn’t Bruck’s fault either,” Obi-Wan responded. Bruck stiffened, shocked at the defense shown his way. 

“Very true,” the master agreed. “If anyone is to blame, then it should be Xanatos. He has caused a great deal of grief throughout the years. I admit that I was very shocked to find out that Qui-Gon had taken another padawan learner, after Xanatos’ betrayal. He was very adamant about never having an apprentice again.”

“I am fortunate that he changed his mind,” Obi-Wan said. “But it seems that ever since becoming his padawan, I have done nothing but cause trouble for him.” 

“That’s not so,” Feemor objected. “I have known Qui-Gon for a long time, and I can tell how much he cares for you. In the short time I’ve been back, I’ve heard a lot about your adventures together.”

“We haven’t had that many. Just a few before I left the Jedi for Melida/Daan, and then Telos…”

“You’ve been through more together than most other padawans your age have. But come,” Feemor gestured toward the room’s seating. “I want to know more about this young man, here.”

The sudden new direction of conversation left Bruck baffled. He listened as Feemor asked all sorts of odd questions about him. Strangely enough, he didn’t ask about Bruck’s role in the temple’s infiltration, or his relationship with Xanatos. He asked what Bruck was like as a student, and what his other hobbies or interests consisted of. 

“Bruck and I have never gotten along very well,” Obi-Wan confessed not long into the conversation. “But that’s something I’d like to change if- _ when _ he wakes up. I’ve come to a lot of new realizations...and I think Bruck might have too. I can feel it...” 

“I think that you’re right about that,” Feemor said encouragingly. “Come now, everything will work out. But it’s getting rather late, and Qui-Gon wants to dine with both of us tonight. Let’s not keep him waiting, yes?”

“Alright,” Obi-Wan agreed, standing up. “Goodbye, Bruck. I’ll return tomorrow.” 

With that, Obi-Wan left the room. Bruck was surprised when Feemor did not immediately follow him. Instead, he gazed down to where Bruck’s body lay and smiled warmly.

“You’ll be waking up soon, little one,” the master said confidently, smiling in that easy-going manner of his. “And when you do, we’ll be having a very long talk.”

Bruck watched in disbelief as the man reached out a lay a hand on his forehead. He couldn’t feel it, of course, but something still warmed in the deep pit of his belly. How could this Jedi Master think to know him? More importantly, how could he act so kindly to him? How could he talk to him as though he were his master, when he had never met Bruck before?

Bruck stared at the man, still overcome with distrust, yet also with a tiny growing sense of hope. 

“Soon,” Feemor said again. 

“Soon,” Bruck agreed with him. 

* * *

Two nights later, Bruck found himself curled against the window, staring out into the bright nightlife of Coruscant. He was glad that Healer Che didn’t close the curtains at night, otherwise he would go mad with boredom. 

Bruck never had nighttime visitors; his condition was stable enough for the healers to leave him in peace, rather than monitor him every hour like they once had. That was why he was very surprised when his door creaked open. Because Bruck’s eyes were well adjusted to the darkness, he was easily able to make out Obi-Wan’s figure. The padawan was hastily dressed in a robe thrown over his sleep tunic, and his boots were only halfway tied. 

He appeared to be quite distressed, and alarm bells rang in Bruck’s mind. 

“I had a nightmare,” Obi-Wan informed Bruck, wiping at his teary eyes with the corner of his tunic sleeve. He sat in his usual seat, hugging his knees to his chest. “A bad one. I just had to come see you.”

Bruck climbed down from his window seat, going to Obi-Wan’s side. The other boy was pale and shaking; he looked like he might sick up, or something worse. 

“I saw Cerasi again. I heard the blaster fire, and I watched her fall to the ground...she was covered in blood. She died, Bruck. She died, and there was nothing I could do. And then I saw you falling from the rocks once more, and I saw your body hit the ground. I see it over and over, even when I’m awake, and- p-please Bruck, please don’t die. Please don’t die...”

Bruck knelt down, reaching to put a comforting hand on Obi-Wan’s knee. As expected, his hand passed straight though. There was nothing he could do to ease the padawan’s pain. Instead, he could only continue to kneel close by, listening to the steady sobbing. 

“Obi-Wan, I’m not going to die,” he said comfortingly, willing the Force to somehow make the other boy understand this. “I’m right here.” 

They stayed like that for a long time.

The more that Bruck tried to help the distraught padawan, the more sluggish he began to feel. It was as though everything in the room was slowing down, and it made him want to close his eyes and go to sleep. That wasn’t right; Bruck had not been able to sleep for a long time now, ever since he had entered this state of nothingness. 

“S’okay,” he repeated, his words slurring as his tongue began to feel weighed down. He wasn’t in pain, but he didn’t necessarily feel very good either. His limbs were stiff, and his head felt foggy. 

Suddenly, Bruck realized that he wasn’t kneeling beside Obi-Wan anymore. He squinted, sensitive to the lights despite the fact that they were dimmed. He found himself in his medical bed, staring up into Obi-Wan’s worried, blue-green eyes, which were still streaming steadily with tears. 

“Bruck? Can- can you hear me?”

Bruck tried to speak to him, but his mouth felt too dry. He was only able to move his hand, slowly, until it rested atop of Obi-Wan’s. He squeezed lightly, with the small bit of strength that resided in his body, and smiled sleepily. 

The Force curled around both boys, radiating sheer warmth and delight. 

At that moment, Bruck knew that everything was going to be okay. 

  



End file.
